Fished the "D" in Malad

[flygoddess]

We met Pokymon up at the "D" Saturday morning. Was a little cooler (but still not cool enough) and a slight breeze when we got there at around 8 am. Put off setting up camp and headed straight to the water. NAUGHTA! it was terrible. I could see a few and had a couple of bumps. Fished till around 11 am then headed in to set up camp with all of us coming up empty handed.
The old man dropped a "Deptherm" down about 30' and water temp was in the low 70's...WOW!
I went back out around 6 pm and managed 3 good healthy trout on a Maroon/Black Gartside Softhackle. Awwwww, finally, the Skunk smell gone.
A storm blew through that was UGLY! about 60 mile an hour wind and swirls on the water, not to mention the White Caps.
Got up this Morning and head back out. Had a fish right out from the launch. I cruised up by the Dam with 250 grain depthcharge fly line and the Purple Nurple (the one I had caught fish on the night before) Not bad, had 6 nice trout with nothing under 20".
Then headed to the trees at the other end for a little deep nymphing. Threw on a 20' leader (straight 6lb P-Line flouro), put my slip indicator at about 19' and a Zebra Chironomid on the bottom with a Green Chironomid at about 17'. Lowered the line and BAMB! I probably caught 20 in 2 hrs. They were hitting before the line got all the way down....NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

So, if you are heading to Malad, think "SMALL"
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[IDHunters]

Did ya like that little SE Idaho breeze we had Saturday. I'm thinking that it almost qualifies as "windy"......

So you use 20 FEET of leader? I've never heard of that, is it tough to cast? And why do you use that much?

I'm a self taught fly fisher so I don't know alot of technical stuff, any help would be appreciated.

[flygoddess]

The wind....what wind?! You mean the tornado that hit us! I am so glad we were not on the lake nor anyone else cause it came in hard and fast. Saw some swirls on the water that I swear were forming the funnel! Whipped our awnings up on the trailers. We got ours down safe and sound, but my brother got a small hole above the door....seen that happen more than once.

Now, fishing! I take 20' of P-Line flouro, and put a loop in one end and do the loop to loop on my line. I then tie a tag of about a foot of P-Line up from the bottom so that it hangs to two or three feet from the bottom. I make sure the bottom fly (chironomid, numph or scud) is weighted to get the line down. The second fly doesn't matter that much.
I have these styro indicators that have a plastic peg. You slide both to where you want them, loop the leader and stick the peg in. When a fish hits, it pulls the loop straight and both slide. I use to use the styro and tooth pick but lost a lot of fish trying to get the toothpick out and using barbless hooks.

I have sonar and like I said, over on the west side there is a group of trees that are underwater right now. The depth is around 22' deep and I track fish at 20' to 18'. So, I set the indicator at 19', drop the flies and leader straight down between my legs then kick away. A lot of times fish will hit as the flies are dropping so you have to be ready.
That long of leader is taxing and asking for an accident, but so far it is easy even on windy days. No you cannot cast it. For one you loosen the indicator. You can lob it out. You can also use the Chan style which is a weighted line and drop it straight down with a slow retrieve up. I like the indicator because I know exactly how deep I am and I think it helps set the hook (kinda like the bobber and the worm, eggs or powerbait). Plus if there is waves, even better cause that fly is bouncing up and down.

Some people say this is boring way to fish, but if it is on! you are doing all you can to get back in the water, specially when they are hitting on the way down. Plus I think it is a great way for inactive fish.
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[IDHunters]

Anything over 45 mph qualifies as "wind", everything else is a breeze. I think the sustained wind speed on saturday here in Pocatello was over 50 with gusts over 65 mph. It was probably stronger in the hills where you were. Come look at my son's mangled slide and swingset that the wind blew over, guess I'm going to be a carpenter rather than a fisherman this weekend

Thanks for the feedback on the fishing and the leader. Thats perfect for my wife-she can't cast any way (LOL). I'm not a sticker for form, I just like to catch fish!

If you would indulge one more question-what is the advantage of using this method vs. a heavy sinking line with the same fly/dropper set up on a standard leader?

Thanks!
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[packfish]

The week before a Golden Damsel hammered them up near the channel. But the water was getting warmer.
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[flygoddess]

To me that advantage is I can measure 3 feet easy with armed stretched out and the other by my ear, so dropping the right amount is easy and real fun to watch LOL. With Chan's method, it is all on the up take and harder to leave that fly suspended at just the right depth (unless you can mark you line some how) You can strip the fish all the way in however with the Chan method where with the longer leader you have to reel it all the way in.
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[jandjflyfish]

You've peaked my interest in how you are rigging for the deep nymphing (enough that I finally signed up to reply). We do this quite often, but use standard indicators, and you are right in that it is difficult to get very deep because of the indicators hitting the fly rod tip on the retrieve.
So this slip indicator system sounds like the hot ticket.
Couple questions: What is P-line fluoro and any more details you can provide on the strike indicator and rigging with the loop would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
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[windriver]

Thanks for the info Flygoddess. Very intersesting presentation method that I would like to try on a couple of different lakes.

Thanks
Windriver
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[flygoddess]

I get the Indicators from Dennis Brakke at [url "http://www.flydesk.com/"]http://www.flydesk.com/[/url]
He can be hard to get a hold of at times, but he is in on Saturday Mornings and Monday Evenings.
If you want some and are having trouble getting through to him give me a pm.
Here is the indicator:

But the picture is upside down, loop and peg should be on top.
They are Egg shaped and come in a bunch of different colors and sizes, but I like the ones about the size of a normal marble.

P-Line is regular fishing line but it is 100% flourocarbon and I think a lot softer than Vanish. I have some that I have had for 3 years and still nice and translucent, no whiting.
I have 2lb, 4lb, 6lb, 8lb and 10lb. but I use the 4 and 6 the most.
You need a knotless leader for these indicators so that is why I use the regular fishing flour. Much cheaper that way.
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[jandjflyfish]

Thanks for the info. You must have had that picture ready to go from previous questions. I will definitely try this set-up next time I'm going deep.
Thanks again.
Also - is P-line the brand name of the line? I can't recall the last time I purchased regular line not on a tippet spool.
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[flygoddess]

P-Line is the name. They sell it at Sprotsmen's, Bass Pro, and probably Cabela's, but be sure it is the 100% flourocarbon.
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[poky-mon]

Next time we meet it will be baily's and tequilla screw the fishing
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[flygoddess]

I had both at the "D". In fact why do you think I kept drinking Coffee.[cool]
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